Current:Home > ScamsWho's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -Prime Capital Blueprint
Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
View
Date:2025-04-20 02:30:31
Oh, baby! A little hippo in Thailand has taken the internet by storm, becoming a viral sensation and even inspiring Sephora to post about blushes that will make people "blush like a baby hippo."
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand about two hours from Bangkok, has the internet and the world in a chokehold with her chubby, pink cheeks, tummy rolls and adorable expressions.
The two-month-old, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, has millions of fans on social media following her clumsy adventures, including trying to nibble her handler despite not having teeth.
Who is Moo Deng?
Moo Deng was born on June 10, to mother Jona, 25 and father Tony, 24, with two other siblings Pork Stew and Sweet Pork at the zoo in Chonburi, NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, reported. She is the seventh child born to the hippo couple and is also the sibling of Moo Toon, another famous hippo, Pattaya Mail reported. Moo Deng is also the granddaughter of Thailand's oldest hippo, Malee, who recently celebrated her 59th birthday. The median life expectancy of pygmy hippos is 27 years, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Pygmy hippopotamuses are a small breed of hippopotamus that are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. They are known to be solitary and nocturnal but can sometimes be found in small family groups. Adults grow up to two and half to three feet high and around five feet in length, weighing between 350-600 pounds. Pygmy hippos are now classified as endangered, the alliance said, with possibly less than 3,000 individuals remaining in their native habitat.
Zoo draws thousands of visitors
Moo Deng's internet-fame has also translated into real life celebrity fame with the zoo drawing thousands of visitors, who visit every day just to get a glimpse of her.
Director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo Narungwit Chodchoy told Reuters the zoo normally gets around 800 visitors on any given day during the rainy season, "which is a low season." After Moo Deng catapulted to fame, the zoo is now getting 3,000 to 4,000 people on weekdays, and welcomed almost 20,000 visitors over the weekend, Chodchoy said, adding that most of them came just to see Moo Deng.
"Moo Deng fever means we will have organize better so all visitors can see her," Narungwit told the media outlet.
Narungwit has also issued strict orders against those who bother Moo Deng after videos of visitors throwing water and shells on the baby pygmy were shared to social media, according to Pattaya Mail. Staff presence has also been increased during peak hours and surveillance cameras have also been installed.
Moo Deng: 'A lifestyle icon'
Moo Deng has inspired several advertisements including by Sephora Thailand and the NBA's Utah Jazz, with internet users referring to her as a 'lifestyle icon."
Contributing: Reuters, Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Oregon hospital hit with $303M lawsuit after a nurse is accused of replacing fentanyl with tap water
- Amazon expands AI-powered Just Walk Out to more NFL football stadiums, college campuses
- 22 Ohio counties declared natural disaster areas due to drought
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Dancing With the Stars Reveals Season 33 Cast: Anna Delvey, Jenn Tran, and More
- Harris and Walz talk Cabinet hires and a viral DNC moment in CNN interview | The Excerpt
- Mia Farrow says she 'completely' understands if actors work with Woody Allen
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Origins of the Jeep: The birthing of an off-road legend
Ranking
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Inside Mae Whitman’s Private World
- Man sentenced to over 1 year in prison for thousands of harassing calls to congressional offices
- Search goes on for missing Virginia woman, husband charged with concealing a body
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- 1,000-Lb. Sisters' Amy Slaton Allegedly Had Mushrooms and Cannabis on Her When Arrested After Camel Bite
- Rapper Eve Details Past Ectopic Pregnancy and Fertility Journey
- Fantasy football rankings for Week 1: The party begins
Recommendation
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Naomi Campbell remains iconic – and shades Anna Wintour – at Harlem's Fashion Row event
LL COOL J’s First Album in 11 Years Is Here — Get a Signed Copy and Feel the Beat of The Force
Reality TV performer arrested on drug, child endangerment charges at Tennessee zoo
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Police in Hawaii release man who killed neighbor who fatally shot 3 people at gathering
US wheelchair basketball team blows out France, advances to semis
Search goes on for missing Virginia woman, husband charged with concealing a body